


dear fellow traveller

by Magnolia35



Category: The Lion King (1994), The Lion King (2019)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, purely self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnolia35/pseuds/Magnolia35
Summary: When Simba was just a cub, there was a traveller.or,a tiger visits Pride Rock and tells stories to cubs while lowkey seducing lionesses.
Relationships: Simba (The Lion King) & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	dear fellow traveller

When Simba was young, there was a traveller.

She had a pelt like the sun and stripes like the tall grasses near pride rock. She didn’t look like any lion or cheetah Simba had ever seen before and she didn’t talk like them either. Her tail wasn’t tufted and she had a mane that wasn’t a mane. She was weird and his dad didn’t like her very much.

She said her name was Mehar and she was from far, far away. Mufasa wouldn’t let the cubs spend too much time with her and she mostly spent her time dallying among the lionesses. When she was allowed to talk with the cubs, she told them of far away lands and gilded cages where food wasn’t hunted for and you didn’t see the sun.

One time, when Mufasa was on patrol and Simba’s mother was out hunting, Simba snuck to the shaded tree where Mehar mostly stayed when she wasn’t with the lionesses. He looked around, wondering where she was. Her scent was there but he couldn’t see her at all. Simba sighed and flopped down, unsuccessful in his task, pawing at a lone beetle in the dirt.

“Now what are you doing here, little cub?”

Simba bolted up, caught. Mehar peered down at him from the tree, tilting her head at him.

“I- I just-“

She laughed in the same rumbly way as she talked. “It’s alright, little king. I was a cub once too. Let me guess, you’re here for stories?”

Simba nodded enthusiastically. Mehar grinned and clambered down, laying down on her haunches next to Simba, “Let me tell you of the Scorpion and the Frog.”

“One day, a scorpion came to a river. The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to figure out how he would get across. Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the grasses on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream. The scorpion called out to the frog and asked if he could ride on the frog’s back to get across. The frog agreed, albeit hesitantly, to take the scorpion across the river. But first he asked how he knew the scorpion wouldn’t sting him. The scorpion told the frog should he sting him, they would both drown.”

“And so the scorpion climbed onto the frogs back and they began to swim across the river. Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. The frog cried out in distress and asked the scorpion why he would do that. The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back. "I could not help myself. It is my nature." And so they both drowned.”

Simba’s eyes were wide as moons by the end of the story, “Why did the scorpion sting the frog? He knew they would both drown!”

Mehar laughed, “Ah little king, some animals cannot change their nature. You lions are luckier than some others in that way. The wildebeest are doomed to fright and the bird is trusted to fly. But the lion is able to choose his way. It will one day be your duty to choose what is best for your pride and your lands. Remember, little king, to not forget the scorpions that may linger in your lands.”

Her ears then perked up, “I believe that is your mother calling for you, little king.”

Simba yelped as he realised his mother was already back, “I gotta go! Thank you!”

Mehar settled, watching the cub scamper off. She saw Sarabi in the distance, grooming her wayward cub. Mufasa has returned too and noticed her watching. He gave her a stern look and she smiled placatingly.

A few days later, Mehar left, leaving her thanks and her stories to the pride. She ducked her head to Mufasa and lingered with Sarabi a little too long before Mufasa let out a warning rumble. She wished the pride good luck and disappeared into the tall grasses on the outskirts. Simba watched her leave, her striped tail blending to become one with the landscape. Years later, he would tell the story of the lone traveller to Kiara. She would laugh and paw at his mane and Simba would show her the grasses where the traveller came from. She only half-believed him but she told her cubs of Mehar the Wanderer all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry it’s not longer!
> 
> mehar’s lowkey seducing simba’s mom and i’m only slightly sorry.
> 
> comments are loved, appreciated and cherished.


End file.
